AutoHappiness wrote:So basically like recons? Cool. I want to make a very good GM electric car and then take it away and crush all of them.
No, the business idea originates from Mercedes-Benz's old practice of having a ridiculously long designed product-life for their luxury cars, which they still maintain with the original models they sold this guarantee with. i.e. the parts guarantee (yes, that merc supply original, certified or self-manufactured parts for maintanance and repair of an original 1960 S600 Pullman "Grosse" is guaranteed, I believe "for life" meaning as long as there is a recognizable piece of the original body shell left somewhere on this planet. So wether you just need to change the oil and filters or rebuild a whole car the Mercedes-Benz dealership has to service it.
Basically how it goes in the case of big rebuilds and significant historical cars, like over 1 million mile cabs that are still in day-to-day use, they send them to a specialized workshop which can indeed restore a car from burned hulk but also looks after the special needs of fore mentioned workhorses that have been moving nearly non-stop for the past 40 - 50 years.
The Grosse and S600 Pullmans are a good example since it was the embodiment of luxury motoring in the 1960s. All the gizmos you could ever imagine with build quality others could only dream of hence it was favored by superstars and dictators.
Every now and then a heir of a star/dictator croaks and the estate is selling of a neglected but historically noteworthy S600, MB workshop will buy this if they consider it viable, restore it and sell it off as a factory refurbished car in an auction, or if the car isn't significant enough to gather such attention, through the dealership network. MBs history especiallly after the second world war, up to the 1970s is littered cars that are wanted collectible. Needles to say that when you buy yours through them the guarantee stays in force.
BMW has their M-line which gathers similar enthusiasm but I don't think they were ever sold with such lavish guarantees. Original first series CSLs, M1s and M5s are rare collectibles so these cases it does make sense for BMW as well. However as for Ford, well they DO have a lot of iconic cars but also they tended to sell well so I'm really not seeing the profit in this, well, maybe with the early 20-40s lincolns and BIG engines. But as for the badge engineered Toyotas, Nissans etc... nope. They're doing this because they'd want into the exclusive club of names with an iconic model. Unfortunately for them, their icons came with the original manufacturer badges and made their name in something other than highä-roller circles. Honda NSX being the exception since it was badge engineer into Acura for americans.
And don't you go dissin' the electric cars. The electric motor IS the future and there really is very little you can do about it. It's cheaper, more efficient and practically maintenance free. And it'll arrive the day someone solves how to store hydrogen reliably and safely into a motor vehicle. DOn't worry, this hybrid horseshit burns the planet just as much as using a Range Rover for a daily shopping cart since the battery technology is dependent on plastic-polymeres and even with LiPo batteries they'll never have the range and will always cost more.
But you can punch every 'planet saving' hybrid-driving-douchebag in the face with a clear conscience, or that's what they deserve for not bothering to do the math and driving around in toxic waste disasters.
Fri Jun 22, 2012 5:00 am 